German Media Prize

Jürgen Schrempp gave the tribute for “Madiba” as Mandela is affectionately known.

The international German Media Prize award ceremony takes place every year in Baden-Baden.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner gave an emotional speech.

Other former award recipients have included Helmut Kohl, Francois Mitterrand and Yitzhak Rabin.

Initiator Karlheinz Kögel with Nelson Mandela.

Later: Mandela and his wife Grace Machel together with former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.

Baden-Baden, 1998: 80-year-old Mandela called for government leaders worldwide to implement more-tolerant policy.

The German Media Prize was founded in 1992 by the Media Control research center as an award that cuts across all political interests and media conglomerates to honor public figures who have made their mark in society or politics over the course of a year.

The award-winner is chosen by a jury consisting of chief editors of leading German newspapers and magazines. The list of nominees for the survey is compiled by the unbiased Media Control research center together with an advisory group. On January 28, 1999, the German Media Prize was awarded to Nelson Mandela in Baden-Baden because, according to the jury, he had taken “a firm stand against oppression and in favor of equal rights for people with different skin colors.”

The speech in honor of the award-winner was delivered by Jürgen Schrempp. In his speech, he recognized the decades-long battle fought by the Nobel Peace Prize recipient for freedom and human rights. Mandela was one of the “outstanding figures of the century that is coming to an end, a man of peace and reconciliation,” said the former CEO of Daimler/Chrysler AG. In his acceptance speech, Mandela, who was 80 at the time, called upon heads of state around the world to pursue a policy of tolerance. The Media Prize, he said, is a “great honor” for him.

Mandela cartoons: 20 years of freedom.

“YOU STAND FOR MUCH OF WHAT WE BELIEVE IN AND WHAT WE DREAM OF.”

Jürgen Schrempp on Nelson Mandela

46664 was Mandela’s prisoner number. Today it represents the global campaign against HIV/AIDS.